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Sunday, January 15, 2006

Arlen Specter: Impeach Bush?

The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act makes it illegal to spy on U.S. citizens in the United States without the approval of a special, secret court. Bush secretly gave the National Security Agency authority to intercept communications without such approval.

Does the chief executive have the power to grant the NSA action?

At least one Republican Senator is skeptical -- and he's the chair of the Judiciary Committee, which should be concerned about the law:

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee promised a thorough investigation on Sunday into President George W. Bush's secret domestic eavesdropping program and said there would be no blank check for Bush.

Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said Bush in theory could face impeachment charges if found to have violated the law by authorizing the program...

Hmmm.

Then again, Specter says he's heard no talk of impeachment and that he thinks Bush made a good faith effort to protect the population from terrorism.